The Wind, the Sky, and the Stars
by Washuu Puppet
Summary: To start off, I'm a big fan of Ron. And I also agree that he should be with Hermione. So you'll see a lot of that in here. This is just a typical plot. How can Hermione show love, without giving it away?


Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk down the stairs from their Transfiguration class. It was time for lunch, so they were making their way to the Great Hall. They were still tired from a long night of studying Hermione insisted they did. Exams were coming up in about a month and a half; they had to prepare.  
  
Ron dragged his bag from behind. "Maybe a little food in my stomach will help. Hopefully we're having something good today."  
  
"You guys are still tired?" Hermione asked. "I'm not tired at all."  
  
"Then why do you have those blue marks under your eyes?" Ron almost laughs.  
  
"Shut up." Hermione snaps. "It was worth it. All that studying came in handy."  
  
"How did it? We haven't even taken exams yet. We haven't even talked about them in class!" Harry says.  
  
"Yes we have." Hermione counters. "You two just don't listen, so you wouldn't know what to prepare for. You're lucky you have me to remind you of such things."  
  
"Ha! I wouldn't call that lucky." Ron chuckles, and Harry laughs as well. Hermione scowls and walks a little faster towards the Great Hall.  
  
"It's so hard to joke around her." Ron sighs.  
  
"Well, maybe we should stop joking like that." Harry suggests.  
  
They both stare at each other for a while…then, "Na!"  
  
They laugh and go into the Great Hall. They find their table and then take a seat next to Hermione who seems to ignore them. She eats her lunch slowly and silently, with her nose in the air. Harry and Ron both thought she was taking this way too literally, but she always did. There was nothing different about it.  
  
Ron finally gives in. "Oh, come on, Hermione! It was just a joke."  
  
"Ha!" Hermione spat. "Go ahead, Ron. Admit it! I'm a bore!"  
  
"I never said that." Ron says. "I was just kidding around. Come on, don't take this so bluntly." He smiles at her and she fights back one herself. "Hermione…"  
  
"What do you expect me to do, huh?" Hermione plays with her food.  
  
"I give up." Ron puts his hands in the air and then goes back to his own lunch.  
  
Harry sighs. "You two…" He had to stop, for he was interrupted by Professor McGonnagal.  
  
She stood up at the staff table and clinked her fork against her glass. "Attention please! May I have your attention please! I have an announcement to make." All the students in the Great Hall turn their heads towards her. "Hogwarts is going to have a special event coming up."  
  
"She calls exams special?" Ron snorts.  
  
"Be quiet!" Hermione snips.  
  
"As you all most likely know, we have just had our New Year celebration, and the month of January is almost done. February is a special month for some, and this year, we are going to make it special for everyone. We will be hosting a Valentines Day Ball!" Some cheers erupt from the Great Hall, and then there are some moans, boos, and a few people clapping. "Of course, no partners are needed, but are excepted. Just have fun. There will be refreshments and little things to munch on. It will be a fantastic night here at Hogwarts. Thank you very much for your attention. You may all continue with your lunches." Professor McGonnagal finishes and has a seat.  
  
"Wow!" Hermione gasps.  
  
"You're actually excited over that?" Harry asks.  
  
"Yes, I mean…it will be fun." Hermione replies with her hands clasped together.  
  
"What will be so fun about it? I mean…all you do is stand around, sip punch, and dance." Ron groans. "Balls suck…they're just plain boring."  
  
"You're just saying that because you never had a date!" Hermione laughs.  
  
"And you have?" Ron snarls.  
  
Hermione's nose twitches. "No."  
  
Ron laughs. "Hey Harry, how about you go ask my sister."  
  
"No, I'm not going with Ginny. I'm not going with anyone." Harry protests.  
  
With that, all fell quiet with the three. No one talked anymore. They just continued to eat their lunch. After they finished, they packed up their bags and started to walk to Potions class. They head to the dungeons and still don't say a word. They'd need their energy to put up with Snape for a whole hour. They reach the particular dungeon they had class in and took their seats next to a cauldron. All the buzz with the people they sat next to was the Ball. Who they were going to invite, how much fun it was going to be. The door busts open and Snape comes in, his cloak flowing behind him.  
  
Ron sighs. "Another day, another potions class. On top of all this, I hate Valentines Day."  
  
"How can you hate Valentines Day?" Hermione asked as if he were crazy.  
  
"Easily." Ron answered in a grungy tone.  
  
"Harry, do you agree with him?" Hermione leans over to talk to him.  
  
Harry just smiles meekly.  
  
Hermione sighs heavily and goes back to the lesson.  
  
Today they were learning how to make a very strange Potion. But, of course, and like always, they had to make a sample. They were paired into groups of three and told the certain ingredients. Hermione chops the roots vigorously.  
  
"Gosh, Hermione…watch it with that thing!" Ron shields himself from a flying piece of the root Hermione was cutting up. "Why are you so angry today?"  
  
"I'm not angry." Hermione replies without looking up. "What gave you that idea?"  
  
"Just a hunch." Ron says.  
  
"This is stupid." Harry moans. "Why do you need to make a potion that makes someone jittery? All you need to do is eat a lot of sugar, that's an easier and quicker way."  
  
"Try telling that to Snape." Ron looks in his bag for some alligator scales to add to the potion mixture.  
  
An hour later, the trio walks out of the dungeons. Harry is shacking uncontrollably. His legs are skipping and his arms and trembling. Ron is holding his hand over his mouth, trying to hold back a laugh.  
  
"Why did you make me drink the potion as the test!" Harry shouts at him.  
  
"You seemed to be a worthy candidate." Ron snickers.  
  
Hermione tries not to laugh either. The side of her mouth twitches into a smile. "Do you have a new respect for Jittery Potions?"  
  
"Oh, shut up, Hermione." Harry groans.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Harry!" Hermione says. "It will ware off before dinner."  
  
"Before dinner! That's in almost four hours!" Harry yells.  
  
"I meant, in about an hour." Hermione giggles. "I mean it this time. I was only joking with you before."  
  
"Yeah, and so were we." Ron replies.  
  
Hermione stops walking and looks evilly at Ron. She then stomps off.  
  
"You shouldn't have brought that up." Harry tries to make a point.  
  
"It's all her…I didn't do a thing." Ron assures himself and goes to his next class.  
  
Later that night, Hermione sits in the Gryffindor common room reading a book and taking some notes on a piece of parchment. Harry is sitting in a big, cozy chair, waiting for Ron to come back for a game of Wizard's Chess. He had the board all ready. The portrait door soon burst open and Ron came running in, all frantic.  
  
"What is it?" Harry questioned as he leaned over the side of his chair to see his friend.  
  
"Nothing." Ron gulped. "Nothing at all."  
  
"Up for a game of chess?" Harry asked as Ron took a seat across from him.  
  
"Sure, why not. It will help me relax a bit." Ron says and tells his first pong where to move. He was breathing a little hard.  
  
"What's the matter?" Harry asks again.  
  
"It's nothing, I told you. Nothing." There was a long pause. Then, out of the blue, "Harry, do you know how to dance?"  
  
"Me? Know how to dance?"  
  
"Don't say it so loud!" Ron leans over to cover Harry's mouth.  
  
Hermione can be heard laughing in the background. She comes over and takes a seat next to the two boys. "Did I hear right? Ron is asking Harry if he knows how to dance? And he's asking this probably because he doesn't know how, and needs to quite soon."  
  
"Shut up, Hermione." Ron sinks down in his chair.  
  
Hermione puts her hand over her heart sarcastically. "Do you really mean that? Because Ron, I could teach you. I know how to dance. But…I guess you'll have to tell whoever asked you to the Valentines Ball that you can't dance yourself! I don't think I'm in the right mood to help you right now."  
  
"Hermione, please!" Ron whines.  
  
"Oh, are you embarrassed that someone asked you to the Valentines Ball and wouldn't take no for an answer?" Hermione smiles triumphantly.  
  
"No! It's not that." Ron yells.  
  
"I won't take no for an answer either." Hermione chuckles.  
  
"Hermione, stop giving Ron such a hard time about this." Harry tries to stop it.  
  
"I'm not giving him a hard time! I'm just trying to get a straight answer out of him." Hermione replies. "Well, Ron, who is it?"  
  
Ron mumbles something no one could hear.  
  
"Excuse me? I didn't quite catch that." Hermione puts her hand up to her ear.  
  
"I said! A girl from Ravenclaw! Her name is Sarah!" Ron bellows at Hermione.  
  
"Oh!" Hermione falls back into her chair.  
  
"Sarah Shunt." Ron finishes.  
  
"I know her." Harry chimes in. "Isn't she in our Charms Class?"  
  
"Yes." Ron whispers.  
  
"The one with the brown hair and blue eyes." Harry asks.  
  
"Yes." Ron whispers again.  
  
"The one with--."  
  
"YES!" Ron shouts.  
  
Hermione laughs. "She asked you to the Valentines Day Ball?"  
  
"How many times do I have to say Yes?" Ron was getting a little annoyed.  
  
"I thought you said Balls sucked. All you did was sip punch, stand around, and dance. You would never want to go to one!" Hermione reminds.  
  
"Sarah's a nice girl." Ron says. "And I guess it won't hurt to go to one ball."  
  
"That's nice of you." Hermione replies and stands to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Ron grabs her arm.  
  
"What do you want?" Hermione turns around. "I have to continue studying."  
  
"You've done enough studying!" Ron says through grit teeth. "You have a whole ton of time to study! But I don't have much time to learn how to dance!"  
  
"It's not that hard, Ron." Hermione titters.  
  
"Please Hermione!" Ron begs.  
  
Hermione smiles acquisitively then gets her arm out of Ron's grasp. "Fine. I'll teach you how to dance."  
  
"Thank you!" Ron bows his head.  
  
Hermione leaves the room after looking back at the two boys for a second. She goes up the steps to the girl's dormitories and you can hear the door being opened and then almost slammed. Harry and Ron go back to their chess match, not saying another word on the subject. Hours pass, and Harry goes up to bed, but Ron remains down in the common room. He takes a seat by the window and looks out onto the grounds and into the dark navy sky. Dancing sounded so easy, but yet when you actually go to do it, it's hard! He didn't want to look like a fool. But asking Hermione to teach him wasn't too terribly easy either. He's tried to teach himself before, but found out that he had two left feet. He hears a door open and close, and then footsteps down the staircase. Hermione peeks her head around the corner.  
  
"What are you still doing up?" She asks.  
  
"Wasn't tired. Why you up?" Ron finally takes his eyes from the window.  
  
"I couldn't sleep either, so I came down here to study some more." Hermione takes a seat where she left her book.  
  
"You must be crazy." Ron rolls his eyes.  
  
"I may be crazy, but I'm also smart." She says.  
  
"So," Hermione said after a while. "Are you excited?"  
  
"Excited? Over what?" Ron cocks his head.  
  
"Oh, nothing much. Just going to the Valentines Day Ball with Sarah." Hermione flips through the book, trying to find a certain page.  
  
"Sure, I guess. I couldn't really tell her no. Her eyes were so pleading." Ron replies.  
  
"She must really like you, Ron." Hermione snickers.  
  
"Don't joke."  
  
"I'm not!" Hermione protests and puts her hands on her hips. She waits a while, looking from her book to the window. She then gets up from her chair. "Come on."  
  
"What?" Ron lifts his head up again.  
  
"Come on. Your lessons start now. We both can't sleep and have nothing much better to do with our time. You want to learn, don't you?" Hermione holds out her arms.  
  
"Alright." Ron gives in and stands up himself and walks over to her.  
  
"Okay, now what kind of dancing do you wish to learn?" Hermione asks.  
  
"There are different kinds?" Ron raises an eyebrow.  
  
Hermione laughs slightly. "Of course there is! Now, I don't know exactly what kind of music they are going to play at the ball, but there are going to be some slow songs. It isn't a dance without one of those."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Plus, those are the easiest. Anybody can do those!" Hermione waves off.  
  
"Okay." Ron says again.  
  
"Come here!" Hermione beckons once more and Ron moves closer. "Now, I'll put my hand on your shoulder…and take your other. Now, put your other hand around my waist."  
  
Ron obeys hesitantly. "Okay."  
  
"That's right. Now, all we do is, just kinda move around in tiny circles." Hermione starts to sway and lead Ron in a small circle. "Ouch! You stepped on my foot!"  
  
"Sorry." Ron blushes.  
  
"Oh, it's okay." Hermione says. "But see how easy this is? All you do is hold onto your partner and move in a circle  
  
"Yeah." Ron sighs with slight amazement. "It is quite easy."  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"Sorry." Ron says again.  
  
"Got this one down?" Hermione asks.  
  
"Uh...yeah." Ron quickly lets go of her.  
  
"What? Are you embarrassed again knowing you had to learn how to do something that easy?" Hermione puts her hands on her hips in a playful pout.  
  
"No, I just don't want to dance anymore. It's stupid." Ron keeps his hands at his sides.  
  
"It is not stupid!" Hermione argues. "Boys..." She mutters and heads for the staircase again.  
  
"Hermione." Ron reaches out.  
  
"What?" She turns around.  
  
"Thank you for helping me." He says sincerely.  
  
She smiles. "You're welcome, Ron. You're welcome."  
  
Hermione continues to go up the stares and to bed in the girl's dormitories. Ron just stands there in the dark common room, with only the moonlight cast upon the scarlet-red carpet. Something as easy as dancing, still he had a hard time. Why? With Hermione the only one who can help him. Why hasn't Harry been asked yet? He's so famous, a lot of girls must want to go with him. But yet, he was the one with the date. He goes over to the window once more and opens it, letting the night air sweep in. It was a nice night. A nice night that he wanted to end soon. How could Harry sleep? And yet, how could he not. He didn't even feel like trying. He didn't feel like doing much of anything.  
  
"Gosh, Ron, you look beat!" Harry exclaims the next morning at breakfast.  
  
"That's what you get for not sleeping a wink." Hermione says out of the corner of her mouth.  
  
"I could have sworn you came to bed last night." Said Harry.  
  
Ron just shakes his head.  
  
"Eat something." Hermione points to his plate of fried eggs and ham.  
  
Ron picks at his food. "I'm not hungry."  
  
Hermione goes to speak again, but Harry puts his hand up. "Maybe we shouldn't press it." Hermione just glares at Harry.  
  
Breakfast went on. The Great Hall is filled with the noises of forks and knives against plates. Glasses being set down on the four, long, wooden tables. They finally have to leave to go to their first class. Harry, Ron, and Hermione go up the staircase and to Charms Class. Ron walks ahead, but Harry stayed behind with Hermione.  
  
"You think he's nervous?" He asks.  
  
"I doubt it." Hermione sighs with worry. "Or at least, I hope not. It's not that big of a deal."  
  
"It may be to him." Harry says.  
  
Hermione rolls her eyes. "I'll go and talk to him." She walks a little faster and soon meets up with Ron. "What's up?"  
  
"Oh, hi, Hermione." Ron says quietly.  
  
"What's bothering you, Ron?"  
  
"Hermione, today is January 23. The dance is a little more then two weeks away! I'll never be ready." Ron moans.  
  
"Why don't you talk to Sarah next hour. She'll listen." Hermione said.  
  
"It's not like I don't want to go with her…I do. I just can't dance!" Ron says exasperated.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Ron. I'll help you as much as I possibly can." Hermione rest her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Did I hear right?" Came a sneer from behind. It was Malfoy. "Weasley doesn't know how to dance? So he's going to the mudblood for help? Who'd ask you to the ball, Weasley? A field mouse? Oh, I can just picture that! You know, I bet that – ."  
  
Hermione lost her temper again. SLAP! A handprint now rests on Malfoy's cheek. "Don't you ever…ever!"  
  
"Hermione!" Harry and Ron grab her arms. Stunned.  
  
"You dare do that mudblood?" Malfoy asks maliciously.  
  
"Yes, and I'll do it again!" Hermione shouts.  
  
"Let's go to class." Harry whispers in Hermione's ear and he and Ron start to pull her towards their classroom.  
  
Charms was like usual. They were working on the command to come. All they had to do was point their wands at an object and say, "Accio" then whatever item they wanted to fly to them. After the lesson, they had time to practice. The two boys were having a little trouble, but Hermione was a natural. Sarah was working with then as well. She was talking and giggling away with Ron. Hermione still held a grudge. She was making pillow after throw pillow come to her in a little pile on her desk. She scowls.  
  
"Are you going to be okay?" Harry almost laughed.  
  
"He deserved it." Was all she said.  
  
Harry tried to get his text book to come to him. But all it did was wiggle. "Stupid Summoning Charm! Never works."  
  
"Here…it goes like this." Hermione gestures the want movement.  
  
"Okay…er." Harry says. "Accio textbook!"  
  
This time it certainly flew. The book lifted up from the desk on which it was set and hovered in mid-air for a second. Then it sped towards Harry—but took a detour. It spun around the light fixture, zipped between a few students' legs, and finally crashed into Ron's face. He falls back to the floor and the book lands next to him. Sarah had put her hand over her mouth in slight shock. She bends down next to him.  
  
"Are you alright, Ron?" Sarah Asks.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Harry groans as he retrieves his book.  
  
"It's okay, Harry. And I'm fine, Sarah. My nose is just a little sore." Ron replies, rubbing his red nose.  
  
Hermione just laughs to herself.  
  
After Charms Class ends, Sarah says good-bye to Ron and then sets off to her next class. The other three then head to Transfiguration, laughing or apologizing about Ron's run-in with Harry's textbook. That hour seemed to fly by. Lunch time was next. Harry, Ron, and Hermione take their seats at their table and start to stuff their faces.  
  
"Really, Hermione, you should have seen your face." Ron was saying. "You looked like a rampaging bull!"  
  
"Malfoy deserved that." Hermione replies after swallowing. "If he keeps on calling me that name, he'll meet my hand again." She blushes after a tiny pause. "Plus, no body mocks my friends."  
  
Harry smiles at her…Ron said nothing.  
  
It was Saturday, so everyone had some extra time in the afternoon to do as they pleased. So, because of Ron's urging to learn and no act like a fool at the ball, he and Hermione went into an empty classroom to practice. And to Hermione's astonishment, Ron actually knew less then she thought.  
  
"Okay, now a waltz is a very, uh, famous type of dancing that has three beats per measure." Hermione explains.  
  
"Per measure?" Ron said confused.  
  
"In the music score." Hermione replied. "Now you take your partner just as if you would for a slow dance, but just move your feet faster and in a little more complicated steps."  
  
"Oh, that's just perfect." Ron sighs.  
  
"It's easy, Ron!"  
  
"That is what you always say." Ron moans, but takes Hermione's hand and puts his other around her waist.  
  
"To make it easier, just count to three over and over inside your head." Hermione points out. "Let go of me for a seconds."  
  
"Okay." Ron turns pink.  
  
Hermione pretends to be holding onto someone and moves across the room. "This is how you'd move your feet. You do the same as your partner and the man usually leads."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Now, do you with to try it?" Hermione hold her arms out.  
  
"Sure." Ron finally answers.  
  
Not the best lesson ever, that's for sure. A lot of stepping on feet, cursing from Ron, and a few threats from Hermione that she'd put a hex on him. Then Ron thought it was a good idea to have a spell that would make him dance well. As he headed towards the door to go to the library, Hermione whipped out her wand.  
  
  
  
"Petrificous Totalis!" She shouts.  
  
Ron's arms go to his sides and his knees freeze. He falls to the floor.  
  
"Sorry about that." Hermione leans over Ron's paralyzed body. "I guess it's just a natural reflex or something."  
  
"Hermione!" Ron growled through his gritted, frozen shut, teeth.  
  
"Lesson's done for today, I suppose." Hermione chuckles.  
  
Hermione then took that time to talk things over in a slight review of the past few lessons. You could tell that Ron was practically burning with anger. Another twenty minutes or so goes by and Hermione finally reverses the spell, then dashes out of the room to escape Ron's wrath. She shouts the password over and over again so the portrait of the fat lady would open. Hermione dives through the hole and into the safety of the Gryffindor common room. Ron still follows and continues to yell angrily at Hermione's retreating back. Apparently, Harry was in the common room waiting for them. He spins around in his chair to see Ron chasing Hermione around the many tables and squishy recliners.  
  
"What in the world is going on?" Harry asks confused.  
  
"That girl put a hex on me!" Ron bellows, with emphasis on the 'girl'.  
  
"It wasn't a hex! Just a little charm." Hermione protests and finally decides to fall back into the girls dormitories for shelter.  
  
Ron plops himself down in a chair next to Harry. "Can't believe her!"  
  
"What happened?" Harry chortles.  
  
"Oh, shut up." Ron pouts, blushes, then turns away to look into the deep, hot, fireplace.  
  
"Maybe you should speak your mind more instead of keeping quiet." Harry suggests.  
  
"I say what I think!" Ron scowls.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ron. Didn't mean to make you mad." Harry apologizes. "It's just…"  
  
"No, I'm sorry Harry. I'm just having an off day." Ron replies. "With a lot of mixed feelings." With that, he goes up to the boys dormitories. Most likely to think.  
  
Up in the girls dormitories, Hermione has the drapes drawn around her bed as she changes into her night gown. She finds the part in the cloth and opens the two pieces wide enough for her to get out. She flattens the night gown and starts to head towards the bathrooms when Lavender and Parvarti come up the steps chatting. She stops and turns around to greet them.  
  
"Hello." Hermione calls cheerfully.  
  
"Hello, Hermione." Lavender smiles. "Did you have a good day?"  
  
"Yes, I did…almost." Hermione replies. "Did you guys?"  
  
"Yes!" Lavender and Parvarti say together.  
  
Parvarti sighs with dreamy eyes. "We both got dates for the Valentines Day Ball!"  
  
"That's very good for you." Hermione congratulates.  
  
"Thank you." Lavender bows. "Who are you going with?"  
  
"No one." Hermione almost whispers.  
  
"You should!" Parvarti giggles. "How about that Weasley kid you're always hanging around. You like him, don't you? Or maybe Potter."  
  
"They are just my friends." Hermione flashes.  
  
"Oh, really?" Lavender sniggers. "I don't know whether to believe you or not."  
  
"Harry and Ron are just my friends!" Hermione repeats. "Ron is already going with someone to the ball."  
  
Lavender and Parvarti laugh.  
  
"Potter is still free then." Parvarti brings up.  
  
"Well, I don't want to go with anyone." Hermione turns to go the bathrooms.  
  
"Nice try, Hermione! Nice try." Lavender jokes.  
  
Hermione goes into the bathroom and slams the door, sinking to the floor behind it. She sighs deeply, trying to calm herself down. She could feel her face still pulsing scarlet. She rests her forehead on her knees and just stares at her bare feet. Lavender and Parvarti were sure in a teasing mood tonight. She felt like slapping them, just like she did to Malfoy. Then, it hit Hermione. She got so angry with those people when they both talked about Ron. Malfoy was teasing Ron about going to the ball with someone, and the girls were saying that she should go with Ron. She takes her hair and wraps it around her face. She wanted the sky just to absorb her brain so she could no longer listen to reality and just swim with the stars and dance on the wind…without a care in the world.  
  
"Good Morning." Hermione hums as she takes her seat at breakfast next to Harry and Ron.  
  
"Morning." They both reply.  
  
"Why are you smiling so big?" Harry asked through a mouthful of bacon.  
  
"Didn't you two see the poster outside the Great Hall?" Hermione asked happily.  
  
"No." They shake their heads.  
  
"Well, apparently, they are going to hold auditions for the balls entertainment." Hermione states.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Ron said.  
  
"Well, it's not like karaoke or anything. But they will have people try out to be performers at the Valentines Day Ball." Hermione explains.  
  
"And you're going to try out?" said Harry.  
  
"Well, why should I? I have some songs in mind already. The school will provide instrumentation and all I need to do is sing along." Hermione smiles.  
  
"Well, all I can say is good luck." Harry helps himself to some more bacon.  
  
"Thanks, Harry." Hermione says.  
  
Sundays were very close to Saturdays around Hogwarts. Morning classes and then a break in-between after lunch, before evening classes. It was going to be a day like every other. Classes, Lessons for Ron, more classes; and then dinner. Nothing changed between the three, even though all of them have been doing quite a lot of thinking.  
  
Days pass…  
  
The Valentines Day Ball grows closer and preparation gets thicker. The conversation in the crowds is heard more often. Ron is coming along quite well in his dance lessons with Hermione. They've covered slow, waltz, alternative, and now they were moving on to swing—even though Hermione doubted they'd play swing music at the ball. Ron had an odd determination to learn it. One very sunny afternoon, February 9th, Ron and Hermione occupy an empty classroom on the fourth floor. No more steps were to be rehearsed, so it was all one big review. They started at the beginning with slow dances. In the middle, Hermione hums something to herself.  
  
"What you singing?" Ron asks.  
  
"I was just trying to get the tune of a song I've been practicing." Hermione replies.  
  
Ron hesitates. "May I hear it."  
  
Hermione smiles shyly. "Disappearing in the crowd, Waving towards the back shadow. It's like a lie until yesterday. Laughing so hard the tears run out of my eyes, We hold hands, staring at each other, Your smell always makes my chest feel uncomfortable. We fought meaningless fights, and lost our tempers, Not knowing the day that we shall never meet again is coming soon. We keep chasing the past. I reveal to you all my feelings. We will be surrounded by the wind, the sky, and the stars. If we can think more about tomorrow, we will feel better. And we can continue to move on. Now I am alone by myself. At night I want so much to see you again, But right now I cannot even deliver you my messages."  
  
"…that was nice."  
  
"Thank you." Hermione whispers.  
  
I feel so strange, Ron says inside his head.  
  
This is getting way too close, Hermione thinks.  
  
"Ron?" Came a call from the doorway of the empty classroom in which they were practicing.  
  
"What?" Ron answers instinctively.  
  
"What are you doing?" It was Sarah.  
  
"Oh, hi, Sarah." Ron said. "You see, I, uh, didn't what to look like a fool or anything, and, uh."  
  
"What he's trying to say, Sarah." Hermione cuts in. "Is that he didn't know how to dance. He didn't want to disappoint you when the ball came, so I volunteered to teach him."  
  
"Oh…well, that's very nice of you, Hermione. How are you coming along?" Sarah asked with a hint of surprise, nervousness, and jealousy in her voice.  
  
"Good." Ron's voice went high.  
  
Sarah bows her head. "Well, I guess I'll see you then Ron." She blows a kiss. "See you, Hermione."  
  
"'Bye." Hermione waves, and Ron puts his hand on his cheek.  
  
"Lessons are done for today." Ron says and exits the room without looking back.  
  
He heads for the Gryffindor Common Room. Hoping not to bump into anyone that would want to stop and talk. He didn't feel like going into a deep conversation. He wanted to remain quiet so his own mind could talk to him instead. The Fat Lady's portrait finally appeared at the top of the staircase and she asked for the password. Ron replied and was permitted admittance. He goes up the spiral staircase and to the boys dormitories. There, he finds all the other boys already sitting on their beds either chatting, sleeping, doing homework, or some other activity. Harry was on his bed, grooming his Nimbus Two Thousand.  
  
"Hello Ron" Harry says cheerfully.  
  
"'Lo." Ron said and plops himself down on his own bed, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
You could hear Harry's sigh in the background. "Don't mean to intrude…but I've noticed you coming up here a lot lately; alone."  
  
"Needed to think." Was all Ron said.  
  
"You've been thinking a lot too…anyway I could help you, Ron?" Harry asks.  
  
"You've always needed help, Ron." Came Seamus.  
  
"Shut up." Ron finally sat up on his bed.  
  
The boys laugh…all but Harry. "A lot of people are talking about your lessons with Granger." Dean pipes in.  
  
"This could lead you down the wrong road, Weasley." Seamus jokes.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Ron looked from face to face.  
  
"You know…getting caught up between two girls." Dean winked.  
  
"Hermione is just my friend, you goons." Ron almost yells.  
  
"Don't say we didn't warn you, Ronald." Seamus says and goes down the stairs with Dean, still chatting away.  
  
"Those two don't know what they're talking about." Ron grunts.  
  
"Yeah." Harry replies plainly.  
  
"You actually think…" Ron starts.  
  
"No!!" Harry's eyes go big. "Do you actually think I'd…for goodness sake Ron!"  
  
"Sorry, just a little angry." Ron sighs.  
  
"Don't start thinking like that. There is nothing wrong with having a friend that is also a girl. Nothing at all. Don't let those guys tease you about it." Harry puts down his broom.  
  
"But have you noticed that this is the first time they've done that." Ron points out. "I mean, we've been friends with Hermione for a long time and they decide to tease me about it now? Why not you? Just because she's teaching me how to dance so I don't look like a fool in front of my girlfriend at the Valentines Day Ball? Sheesh. I think that is no reason what so ever…"  
  
"Ron, don't take it so hard." Harry stops him. "Maybe it is good that you're thinking. It might help get Seamus and Dean out of your head so you can have some room for sense."  
  
"Are you saying that me talking dance lessons are stupid?" Ron asks.  
  
"No, I didn't mean it that way. Maybe you'll know what I mean if you think some more on the subject." Harry says. "See you at dinner."  
  
Ron does take Harry's advice…and starts to think. The first thing that came to his mind was Sarah Shunt, his girlfriend, and date to the ball. He did consider her as his girlfriend. She liked him, she really did. But that run in today while he was having lessons wasn't too good. He wanted to have her think he could dance without help. And that look in her eyes when he turned around to see her standing in the doorway; watching him and Hermione dance. Couldn't quiet place it as an emotion that would come along with words. What would she say if she did fully speak her mind. Maybe he didn't really want to know. Then there was that feeling he had right before Sarah dropped in on the tutorial. Right after Hermione sang the song she was practicing for the tryout. Those words…they meant something. He couldn't remember them all, but it was something close to a summary of: I try to get your attention but you turn away. I hate to say that we'll never see each other again and I'll never be able to tell you how I really felt. Let's just get away from all this and be swept away by the wind, the sky, and the stars…when I finally get my message through to you. . . All this and Ron could only think of one thing to explain this whole dilemma.  
  
"I hate February." Ron says as he lies back down on his four-poster bed.  
  
February 13th , the tension is building tremendously. Ron is all in a flutter, and so is Harry. (Ginny finally got the nerve and the courage to ask him). It seemed as if Hermione was the only one without a date. The three now sit in the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione was eating quickly for the solo tryouts were afterwards.  
  
"Don't choke." Harry said.  
  
"I won't." Hermione replies before a swig of Pumpkin Juice. "Just a little nervous."  
  
"But…what if you don't make it?" Ron sighs. " Not saying you won't. But if worse comes to worse, you'll have absolutely nothing to do tomorrow night."  
  
"I was going to ask you if Ginny didn't—." Harry started.  
  
"No, no, no!" Hermione waves off. "Forget about it. If I make it, I make it. If I don't, I don't. It doesn't really matter to me."  
  
"Hermione…you have a beautiful song. You're going to make it." Ron says.  
  
"Thank you, Ron. But I don't think the judges will go for the words. They'll go for the voice." Hermione points to her throat. "Plus, the song you heard, Ron, isn't the one I am going to use for the tryout."  
  
"But—." Ron blurted.  
  
"Attention, please!" Professor McGonnagal stood up at the staff table. "If you had signed up for the entertainment portion of our ball tomorrow night, will you please report to Professor Flitwick's room. Tryouts will be held now, I repeat, in Professor Flitwick's class room."  
  
"Wish me luck." Hermione smiles and gets up from the table and leaves the Great Hall.  
  
"Good luck." Harry and Ron wish.  
  
. . .  
  
"What if I do it all wrong? What if I forget everything? She'll think I'm some dumb dope! 'Nd what if—."  
  
"For goodness sake, Ron, don't take this so hard! You'll do fine." Harry comforts.  
  
The night of the Valentines Day Ball had finally arrived. Ron and Harry sit in the common room wearing kakis and a good sweater. It was 6:45 pm. Fifteen minutes until the Great Hall would open and the Ball would begin. Ginny comes down the steps from the girls dormitories with her other friends wearing a radiant shamrock green dress that went gorgeously with her flaming hair. She saw Harry and her face when as red as a cherry. You could tell she was trying to hold back a smile.  
  
"Ready?" Harry asks.  
  
She only nods.  
  
Ron, Harry, and Ginny exit the portrait hole and start descending the many staircases to the Great Hall. At the doors of the Great Hall stood a congregation of students, waiting to get in. Among the crowd stood Sarah, waiting for Ron. She wore a lovely blue dress that matched her eyes. Ron gulps and walks forward to talk to her. Harry only wondered if Hermione was okay. He hasn't seen her since breakfast when she left to go to the tryouts. He'll only have to wait and find out for the groups to start singing, and see if Hermione is one of them.  
  
"Excuse me,… excuse me please!" Came a squeaky voice. Professor Flitwick was bustling through the crowd with a big key in his hands. "Need to unlock the door. Excuse me, … excuse me please!"  
  
The Great Hall was decorated beautifully. Red, Pink, and White streamers hung from the ceiling along with little hearts and arrows with quivers. Some of the hearts had wings attached. Where the staff table would be was a stage complete with amplifiers, speakers, and plenty of muggle- made and wizard instruments to accompany tonight's soloists. The towering ceiling was covered in what seemed to be a navy blue blanket with little pieces of snow dripped over it. But every student really knew that it was the night sky outside. The dancing finally begun…A fourth year boy came up on stage and started to sing along to some half slow, half up-beat music. The night drowned on. People were dancing, drinking, and munching on the tiny snacks. It went on for hours and there was still not sign of Hermione. Maybe she didn't make it, Harry thought. She must be crushed if she didn't even show up to talk with her friends. Harry always kept an eye on Ron and Sarah when he could. Ron was so nervous…hopefully he got over it. Then, he got the chance to talk to him. Sarah and Ginny had gone to the ladies room, so Harry went over to Ron who was at the punch bowl.  
  
"How are you holding up?" Harry asks as he takes a glass for himself.  
  
"Okay. I haven't stepped on her foot yet." Ron smiled at the accomplishment. "I wonder where Hermione is though."  
  
"Yeah, me too." Harry agrees. "That reminds me, when did you hear her song for the tryout?"  
  
"Oh, when we were practicing once. It was a nice song." Said Ron.  
  
"Care to tell me?" Harry was curious. If Ron said it was beautiful, it must have been because he rarely uses that word to begin with.  
  
"I don't remember all of the words. But I can kind of summarize it to this: I try to get your attention but you turn away. I hate to say that we'll never see each other again and I'll never be able to tell you how I really felt. Let's just get away from all this and be swept away by the wind, the sky, and the stars…when I finally get my message through to you." Ron replies.  
  
"That came out of Hermione?" Harry said surprised.  
  
"Yeah." Ron smirks. "Oh well," He downs his punch and goes back to the dance floor. The lights had gone up on the stage again, signaling another soloist. Sarah had come back from the bathroom and was ready to dance again. So had Ginny.  
  
"Hey, Harry." Ginny points out. "Look." She motions towards the stage. Hermione had come up and adjusted the microphone. He smiles.  
  
A slow tune comes on…  
  
"Ever since I first met you. I've been shining in my heart. My love causes so much sorrow. I broke off my glance so quietly. Your insignificant gestures. And your ordinary words. Every time I think of them I feel like I'm going to cry." Hermione began to sing.  
  
Ron thought that voice sounded familiar. He looked up onto the stage and saw Hermione looking down on him. She smiles weakly. "Good luck." He whispers under his breath. Sarah rests her head on his shoulder as the slow dance continues with Hermione's words.  
  
"Love brings a lonely lonely heart. I'm just all alone now, Lonely lonely heart. All the joy and pain I feel, I'm always dreaming it by myself. Love brings a lonely lonely heart. But I know that someday it will come, while I'm being held in your strong arms. Wanting to be together with you...Right at your side, I'm standing there. I'm always waiting for you.  
  
But you don't return my advances. I've been disappointed so many times. When I fall in love with someone, why does it cause me so much pain? All alone, by myself. It's like I've fallen sick. And now it's baby baby love. Please, I beg of you. Baby baby love. When I feel I'm going to lose to this loneliness, I have to look into my hand mirror. And now it's baby baby love. Seems like every day I'm crying through the night. I long for the past, smiling to myself. Wanting to be together with you...Nobody knows about these Secret tears. The one to wipe them away is Only Not just myself. Wanting to be together with you... Love brings a lonely lonely heart. I'm just all alone now, Lonely lonely heart. All the joy and pain I feel, I'm always dreaming it by myself. Love brings a lonely lonely heart. But I know that someday it will come, while I'm being held in your strong arms. Wanting to be together with you..." Hermione's song finishes and Ron realizes that he had been staring up at her, singing, for most of the song. He blinks a few times and shakes it off.  
  
"That was a very nice song." Sarah whispers.  
  
"Yeah…it was." Ron replies.  
  
The ball ended about an hour later. Some of the kids stayed behind in the Great Hall to snack and drink and talk, and some went back to their common rooms for conversation or bed. Ginny was tired, so Harry said goodnight to her and she took off towards the Gryffindor Tower. Harry looked over to his left and saw Ron and Sarah. She stands on her tippy-toes and gives Ron a kiss on the cheek before leaving for Ravenclaw's own common room. He goes over to him.  
  
"Ready to go back?" Harry asks.  
  
"Err, I'll just stay here for another glass of punch or something. A little thirsty." Ron says, rubbing his throat.  
  
"Okay," Harry nods and leaves.  
  
Back in the common room, Harry finds Hermione sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire, fiddling with her hair, and gazing into the hot red flame in the fireplace. "Hello, Hermione. You did great tonight."  
  
"Oh, hi, Harry." Hermione lifts her head. "Thank you. Thanks a lot."  
  
It fell silent. Something was driving at Harry's mind, so he had to rack up his courage to ask her. "Are you lonely?"  
  
"What? Why do you ask that, Harry?" Hermione sounded like Harry was an imbecile. "Is it just because of the lyrics to my song?"  
  
"No, I just couldn't help but notice you were watching Ron practically the whole time you were up on stage." Harry replied.  
  
"I was?" Hermione raises her eyebrows.  
  
"Yes…you were."  
  
"My God…" Hermione sighs. She stands up to leave. Harry gets up too and stops her. "What? Get out of my way, please."  
  
"Hermione, listen to yourself." Harry says. "Listen to that…lonely, lonely heart."  
  
"Stop it." Hermione cries. "Stop it!"  
  
"Hermione!" Harry puts his hands on her shoulders and gives her a slight shake. "Just go! He's waiting for you."  
  
A tear rolls down Hermione's cheek. "Were you waiting for this?"  
  
"I wait for nothing." Harry assures.  
  
Hermione's chin quivers. "I've been waiting so long to tell him. I really have. Sometimes, I sit alone, trying to pick up the words that the wind is telling me. Trying to get the slightest bit of advice. But now that you've given me that, I don't know if I want to go through with it. I don't want to ruin a friendship that is already wonderful to begin with." She falls into Harry's arms.  
  
He hugs her. "It's alright."  
  
"Thank you, Harry." Hermione hic-ups.  
  
"Now," Harry pulls her away from him, and puts on a playful smile. "Get outta here!"  
  
She smiles meekly and goes out the portrait hole…heading towards the Great Hall.  
  
She runs down the steps, saying excuse me to anybody who happens to be passing and bumps into. Some said good job on her solo and some just gave her a pat on the back. But she didn't really listen to what anybody was saying. She just wanted to get down to Ron as soon as possible. It was now or never and now seemed like a pretty good time. She did use that song because that was how she felt. She didn't want to use the one that Ron heard already because it gave him time to think of the huge hint hidden within the lyrics. Maybe he had already figured it out. Maybe not…she hoped he did in a way, so telling him wouldn't be as hard as she thought it would be. She finally makes it to the Great Hall and sees Ron standing by the punch table, sipping on a glass and staring into oblivion. She walks over to him slowly.  
  
"Ron."  
  
He looks up. "Oh, hi, Hermione. Great job on that solo. I loved it."  
  
She blushes. "Thank you."  
  
"What's the matter?" Ron asked. He only said this because her voice was getting a little wavy.  
  
"I-I." Hermione choked. "Wanted to tell you something."  
  
Ron finally puts down his cup of punch and goes over to her. "Yes?"  
  
"Right at your side, I'm standing there. I'm always waiting for you. But you don't return my advances. I've been disappointed so many times. When I fall in love with someone, why does it cause me so much pain?" Hermione quotes in a bare whisper.  
  
"What was that? I didn't hear you." Ron says.  
  
"You don't know how hard this is!" Hermione almost yells through her sudden sobs.  
  
"Hermione, what's the matter? Are you okay?" Ron reaches to wipe away a tear.  
  
"No, please!" Hermione covers her face with both hands.  
  
"Hermione…"  
  
Hermione looks up at Ron with her glassy eyes. "What I said earlier…I meant it. But there is something I'd like to add. It's just that—."  
  
She was cut short. Ron had leaned down and kissed her. He pulls away. "Sorry…I wasn't…thinking."  
  
"Then neither of us were thinking, were we? Because I would have done the same thing." Hermione replies.  
  
"In the past I cannot forget the happiness we held on to. Let me be somebody who likes myself a lot again. I keep dreaming about the look on your eyes in the old days, I can never forget. The breezes and the sky will, for sure, erase the sadness from me. We fought meaningless fights, and lost our tempers. Not knowing the day that we shall never meet again is coming soon. We keep chasing the past, I reveal to you all my feelings, and we will be surrounded by the wind, the sky and the stars." 


End file.
